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Antonelli plans racing academy and GT3 outing with his father
Kimi Antonelli wants to create an academy for young drivers and hopes to race alongside his father in a GT3 car next season.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli is planning a racing academy to help young drivers find opportunities in motorsport, while also hoping to share a GT3 race car with his father next season. The 20-year-old outlined both ambitions in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport.
The academy would not be limited to developing future Formula 1 drivers. Antonelli sees professional GT racing as another route for young competitors, pointing to its growing profile and the attention Max Verstappen has brought to the category.
Antonelli wants the academy to open doors across motorsport
Antonelli said the project is intended to give young people a better chance to enter a sport where opportunities can be difficult to secure. Its scope, he explained, would extend beyond the single-seater ladder: professional GT racing can also offer a destination for drivers.
That outlook reflects his own background. Antonelli grew up around his father’s racing operation, AKM Motorsport, and has first-hand familiarity with the demands of building a career in motorsport. His plans add a development-focused strand to a career already drawing attention, including from former champion Kimi Räikkönen, who has backed Antonelli’s potential.
The timing and structure of the academy were not detailed in the interview. Antonelli presented it as a future project rather than announcing a launch date.
A shared GT3 race with his father is also on the horizon
Antonelli’s nearer-term ambition is personal. His father, Marco Antonelli, is a former touring car driver who built AKM Motorsport. Kimi has driven for the team in the past and tested its GT3 machinery, but father and son have not yet competed together as race teammates.
The pair would like to change that in a GT3 car. Antonelli said they share projects and interests in motorsport, and that racing together is a long-standing dream for his father. He believes an opportunity could arise early or midway through next season, if their schedules allow.
The plan remains conditional, but it would give the Mercedes driver a chance to compete alongside his father before the academy idea takes shape. Antonelli has also spoken publicly about his ambitions in Formula 1, including after winning the Spanish Grand Prix.